Catch the Wind and Fly
by Hippie In A Chevy
Summary: James goes back to his family's mansion and falls for Jessibelle. Yup, this is a rumishipping fic.
1. Prologue

Prologue 

Prologue 

I took a deep breath as I started out the window. Carefully placing my foot on the shingles, I stepped out onto the slope. I held still, fully out of the window. Any slight movement could send me tumbling down the ledge to my doom. Slowly edging my feet forward, I made my way to the end of the roof. 

_Now comes the tricky part,_ I thought. I stood up, leaning backwards to keep my balance. Teetering on the edge, I jumped as far as I could. 

I spent so long in the air that I thought I'd missed. I opened my mouth to scream, but my hands clasped firmly around a thick branch. Pausing momentarily to regain my breath, I sidled along the branch until I reached the center of the tree. 

"Uuuuuggghhh," the butler turned over in his bed. I held my breath, not daring to move. After what seemed like hours, I finally heard his snoring resume. I let out a long sigh of relief, and cautiously made my way down the tree. When I had reached the bottom, I darted quickly across the lawn until I was in shadow once again. After repeating this process, I found myself in front of the doghouse. 

"Growlie," I whispered. "Grooowl," he howled in reply. I gently pulled at the door, but it didn't open. I pulled harder. It still wouldn't budge. " Darn, it's locked!" I concluded. 

"Who's there?" I heard the voice of a security guard. "Show yourself!" Then came the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked. "This way! Someone's trying to break into the doghouse!" More guns being cocked. 

I bolted. I could hear the heavy footsteps beating down on the ground, and they sounded quite close. My heart pounded in my chest, and I heard the footsteps get closer. A gun went off, and I actually felt the wind off of the bullet. I saw the fence to the estate just ahead, but I had no idea how to get past it. 

"We can corner him at the fence!" one guard shouted. His voice sounded so nearby I was surprised they hadn't caught me yet. The fence was only a few yards away now. 3...2...1... "Yaaaah!" I leapt over it with a cry, surprised at my own strength. I had read about adrenaline at school, but this was the first time I had experienced it firsthand. 

"DAMN he's a high jumper!" exclaimed a guard. I kept running. 

"Should we go after him, chief?" 

"Nah, he's gone now. If he comes back, we'll be ready." 

I ran down our ridiculously long driveway, exhilarated at my escape. _I did it!_ I thought. _I ACTUALLY DID IT! NO MORE JESSIBELLE!_

As soon as that thought made its way into my mind, it hit me. I would be leaving Growlie behind. I would be leaving….Jessibelle behind. 

I hated to do it. I really did. But I had no choice. Jessibelle and I had once been the greatest of friends, always getting along in every way. Then our parents said, "It is time to stop this 'frivolous' behavior, and become young ladies and gentlemen." Being a young gentleman was dumb. You had to wear a suit and be still all the time and you had to say please and thank you; you had to hold your fork right and eat spaghetti right and even sit right; you had to talk right and walk right and you could never play anything fun anymore! I talked to Jessibelle about this and she said, "Being a young lady is fun. You get to wear a pretty dress and you learn the proper way to do everything." She tried to show me the "proper" way everything was done, even though I insisted that I didn't want to. She just wouldn't give up. Yesterday, she came home with an Oddish and _paralyzed_ me just so she could keep me still. That was the last straw... 

Even though I didn't want to, I kept running. Only now with tears streaming down my face.


	2. Chapter One

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

_~10 Years Later~_

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off agaaaaaaaaaain!" Meowth, Jessie, and I screamed. Once again, that pathetic 10-year-old and his equally pathetic Pikachu had blasted us off. _Why don't we just quit this stupid job,_ I moaned inwardly as I was hurled through the air. _Because if you do, you'll have to go back home and face Jessibelle,_ a voice answered. 

I sighed. This wasn't the first time I had considered going home. There was always an inward battle going on inside me, one voice telling me that going home was the best choice, the other saying I should stay. Personally, I don't know. If I went back home, I would have to follow "The Rules of Society" and be a gentleman, always acting formal and so unlike myself. Either that or get paralyzed by Jessibelle's stupid Oddish. On the other hand, I could stay with Jessie and Meowth, get blasted off everyday by a Pikachu, sleep outside, grovel to Jessie, and eat what is possibly the _worst_ canned food on the planet. 

Tough choice, isn't it? That's why I usually do whatever Jessie says. I already have enough to worry about without having to make more decisions, and Jessie likes being in control. 

"Oomph!" I heard Jessie land on the ground beside me. "Oomph!" Now it was my turn to be winded. "Meeee-ouch!" And that would have to be Meowth. 

Jessie pulled me to my feet. "James, this is no time to be lying around!" 

"But Jessie, I fell on a rock," I whined. 

She slapped me. "We have to get going." She marched off, and I followed, just like always. Meowth brung up the rear. "Hey, what's dat?" he pointed to a sign. 

We walked up to it. It was a flyer for some missing kid, no big deal. But Jessie was gaping in awe. "James, the boy in this picture looks just like....you." 


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"No way," I giggled nervously, "it's just some look-alike." 

"No, James," Jessie assured me. "This is _you._" She turned the sign around so I could see it. "Look." 

Oh. My….it WAS me! I fell back. The boy in the photo had the same blue hair, the same emerald eyes….I couldn't believe it. It was definitely ME. 

"James, what's going on?" Jessie demanded. I didn't respond. I _couldn't._ This photo was recent, much too recent. How….? 

I snatched the sign from Jessie. _Time-lapsed photo of James Morgan, age 17,_ it read. _If you know the location of this missing person, please contact 1-878-659-7589._ My blood ran cold when I read the number. 

"James, that's you, right?" Jessie asked anxiously. 

I finally choked out one word. "No…" I peeped. 

"YOU LIAR! YOU PROBABLY KNOW THE NAME OF EVERYONE IN THAT HOUSE, AND WE'RE TURNING YOU IN!" Jessie screamed. I cringed in fear. 

"Jessie….why?" 

"There's a reward, dummy," she stormed off. "I'm finding a payphone." I rushed after her. "JESSIE! NO! PLEASE, JESSIE! DON'T DO THIS!" I waved my arms frantically. "THE TEAM!" 

"I'm doing it for the team," she replied in an overly calm voice. "If we turn you in, we can have all that money. You too." She grinned. "Oh, look. There's a payphone now." Jessie sauntered in and slammed the door. I beat my arms on it frantically. "Please Jessie, please no," I was close to tears now. "Please no." 

"Hello? Oh hi, Mrs. Morgan," she flashed a wry grin at me, "I'd just like you to know we've found your son." 

There they were. The fatal words. A shrill scream of delight erupted from the other line. I couldn't make out what she said after that, and I doubt Jessie could either. 

"Okay, we'll be right over," Jessie said cheerfully. With a loud 'click!' she hung up the phone and flung the door open, nailing me in the head. "Please, Jessie," I grabbed her foot. "Please no." 

"Don't be ridiculous, James." Meowth. I had totally forgotten about him. "We're just gonna grab the cash and scram." Even with Meowth's reassurance, I wasn't sure that they could get me out. I shuddered at the thought of being left behind. "Jessie….are you sure about this?" I whined. 

"Yes, I'm sure, James," she growled. "Now come on." I followed reluctantly behind. As usual, I lacked a better idea. 

I hung my head in sorrow. _I'll have to face Jessibelle,_ I thought. _But maybe that's the best way. Jessie will be happy. Meowth will be happy. Mother and Father will be happy. Jessibelle will be happy…… But will James be happy?_ I gave a long, deep sigh, the kind I always gave when something was on my mind. 

"James, everything will be FINE," Jessie snapped. "You ran away once, you can do it again." _But could I?_

I shuffled my feet disgruntledly up the once-familiar driveway. _There's no turning back now…_but the pebbles in the driveway below me kept moving backwards. Right then I would've given almost anything to turn into a tiny pebble and start moving backwards.

"WHOA!" Meowth shouted. "WHAT'S UP WITH THIS?! IT'S A MANSION!" I looked up. There it was, the mansion. Where I'd run away from all those years ago….I couldn't help it. I panicked.

"James, why did you run away if you were rich all along?" Jessie demanded. 

My mind reeled. "Ummm…." I said desperately. "I DON'T REMEMBER! I HAVE AMNESIA! I DON'T REMEMBER ANYTHING!" I clutched my head for good measure, hoping it would work. 

"James, darling!" The double doors to the mansion swung open, and my Mother came running out. "Where have you been all these years? It's time for you to get married!" She wrapped her arms around me and squeezed hard. 

"Hey, lady! Didn't you say there was a reward?" Jessie interjected rudely. 

"Yes," Mother admitted, "But James here has to get married first so he can inherit his fortune." 

"Alright, James, get married," Jessie ordered. 

"JESSIE, YOU CAN'T JUST ORDER ME TO GET MARRIED! I DON'T WANT TO!" 

"But I can." A voice interrupted. _Oh gosh, not her….please, not her…_

"C'mon, James darling, we're gonna get married!" she exclaimed. I turned around, and my greatest fear came true. There she was….Jessibelle. Standing proud in that short, red dress, holding a…whip? Now I was sure I wasn't going to make it out. I buried my face in my hands. _No, no, no…not again….._

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" I shouted angrily. "I DON'T WANT TO BE MARRIED!" 

"But James, dear, you have to or our whole fortune goes to charity," explained Jessibelle. "Surely you don't want that." 

I collapsed on the ground. "I don't know what I want anymore! I'm just so confused!" I burst into tears. "Just don't make me marry, Jessibelle!" 

Just then a limousine pulled up, and out hopped three of the last people I wanted to see at the moment. 

"Hey, what's going on?" yelled the doof with the Pikachu. 

"It's Team Rocket!" said the redhead. _Duh,_ I thought. 

"James, we were just looking for you!" my father emerged from the driver's seat. 

"Where's Brock?" I asked stupidly, stalling for time. Ash shrugged. "He left with some woman at a restaurant. Now, what's going on here?" He stepped forward. 

"James is just about to get married!" replied Jessibelle happily. "James, come on now," she grabbed my foot and started dragging me away.  
  
"NO! Do something, PLEASE, I DON'T WANT TO BE MARRIED!" I pleaded. "PLEASE! SOMEONE!" 

"James, do it for the team." Jessie nodded. Oh yeah, Jessie. She was still there. "Please, Jessie, I'm begging you," I clasped my hands. "Don't make me get married…" 

"James, it's no big deal," replied Meowth. "You'll be fine. Just…do it for the team. For all of us." 

"Do it for the team, James," Jessie repeated. 

I gave up and allowed myself to be dragged away. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Shouldn't we help him?" Ash suggested. "Even if he is our enemy, he shouldn't have to marry if he doesn't want to." 

"You're right, Ash," Misty agreed. "Let's go!" 

Ash and Misty took off running. Past the mansion, the fountain, the bench… 

All of a sudden they heard a loud banging. "What's that?" asked Misty. 

"It's coming from over there!" Ash pointed to the doghouse. They approached it slowly. 

"Something's….in there," said Misty nervously. 

"Stand back," Ash firmly gripped the door handle. "1……2……3!" he flung it open. "Huh?" 

"Growl!" a Growlithe came running out, paws outstretched. It scrambled down the driveway with its puppylike gait. "Groooowlithe!" 

"What was that all about?" Ash blinked his eyes in confusion. 

"Who cares, we should follow it!" Misty exclaimed. "Come on!" Ash and Misty took off after the Growlithe, creating a rather odd parade with James and Jessibelle in the lead. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Jessibelle had drug me all the way across the estate to the wedding chapel. Strange as it always was, we had a wedding chapel _just_ for this occasion. "Stand up nice and proper James!" Jessibelle instructed. Jessie slapped some duct tape on my mouth and held my hands together behind me. 

"Jessibelle, do you take James to be your lawfully wedded husband?" Father began. 

"Of course I do!" she said matter-of-factly. I would have screamed had my mouth not been taped shut. 

"And James, do you take Jessibelle to be your lawfully wedded wife?" he looked at me expectantly. 

"Mrrmph!" I shook my head violently. 

"He says yeah," Jessie translated falsely. 

"Then I now pronounce you, man and-" 

"GROOOOOWL!" a Growlithe burst in. "Grooowl!" it cried before performing a flamethrower attack on Father. He collapsed on the floor. "James-" he stuttered. 

Jessie dropped my hands in surprise. I quickly seized the moment and ripped the duct tape away. "Growlie!" I shouted happily. "Thank you." 

"You disgusting little thing!" Jessibelle cringed. "Get away from me!" 

"Growlie, Flamethrower!" I grinned broadly. "GROOOOWL!" burning flames erupted from his mouth. 

Jessibelle gaped in horror at Growlie. "What did you do?" She slowly became aware of a burning sensation on her butt. "YAAAAAH!" she fled from the chapel through a hole that Growlie had made. I saw her streaming down the boardwalk, a fiery blaze of butt. 

"JAMES! You ruined everything!" screeched Jessie in disgust. "We would have got you out." 

"NO," I said firmly, "you couldn't have. You don't know Jessibelle as well as I do, and I'm telling you, for a FACT, that could NOT have got me out of here." 

"James…." Jessie trailed off. "You can come back to the balloon. Or you can be married, and then come back to the balloon. It's your choice." She glared at me coldly. "But I know you, James, and I know you'll do the right thing." With those last words, she strode off to the balloon. 

I stared out at the estate. The boardwalk, the fountain, the balloon in the distance…._It's time to decide, James,_ I thought. _The decision you've been putting off for years._ Once again, I looked out at the estate. _Which way will it be? _I stared at the boardwalk one last time, and made my decision. 

_Do it for the team._


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter 3 Pamela Guinn Whitmore Normal Pamela Guinn Whitmore 1 1 2001-10-19T01:57:00Z 2001-10-19T01:58:00Z 1 1157 6595 54 13 8099 9.2720 

Chapter 3

"Jessibelle, wait!" I started as I ran down the boardwalk. _Here we go….all I have to do is get Jessibelle to trust me,_ I thought. _But how?_

A dark cloud of smoke greeted me as I approached the end of the boardwalk. Jessibelle was frantically slapping at her dress, trying to put out the flame. Despite myself, I giggled.

"James, you little delinquent! Help me!" Jessibelle shouted. She twirled around on her heels, something I'd never thought possible until now.

"Okay, Jessibelle, just hang on," I approached her, arms forward.

She looked at me worriedly. "James, what are-" But it was too late. I placed my hands firmly on her chest and shoved hard. "YAAAAAH!!!!" she screamed before hitting the water with a splash.

Bubbles began to appear on the surface before Jessibelle struggled up. "James, wha…?" she seemed to be at a loss for words. She took a deep breath. "Why?"

"It solved your problem, didn't it?" I grinned darkly.

"But James, that was totally improper!" Jessibelle broke down in tears. "You didn't have to do that!"

"Then tell me, Jessibelle, what would you have done? Hitting yourself obviously wasn't working."

"I…I would've…" she trailed off, and slow realization crossed her face. "James…?"

"And to think what would've happened if I hadn't pushed you into the water," I tsked. "You would've been burnt to a crisp by now."

Jessibelle opened her mouth to reply, but no sound came out.

"You see…the proper way isn't always the best way."

Jesssibelle stared ahead, a blank look on her face. "James….I'm confused."

"Come up and sit on the boardwalk," I sat down and patted the spot beside me. "We need to have a long talk." Jessibelle still wore the same dazed expression, but she complied.

"Now Jessibelle," I began promptly, "We've already established the point that if I hadn't pushed you into the water, you would have been burned. Right?"

She nodded. "But-"

"But what? It's plain to see. You were slapping yourself, which is the proper way. But it wasn't effective. Then, I came along and pushed you into the water, which is the improper way. This was what put out the flame. So as you can see, the proper way wasn't the right way this time."

Jessibelle looked at me in disbelief. "James…that is true, but I find it hard to believe that the proper way could be wrong. Why is it? Proper means right!"

"Because they want to hide the right way from you!" I threw up my arms to emphasize the point. "This isn't the only case. Take holding a fork, for example. Isn't holding it the improper way a much easier way to eat? Or running! The point is to go faster than walking, is it not? Running the proper way adds almost no speed, but the improper way has you going up to seven times as fast!" I looked at her in exasperation. "Upper-class society just created these rules so that they could say they did things the "proper" way, to prove they were better than everyone else. While in truth, it's nothing more than a cover-up to hide the fact that they're all of a bunch of idiots." I folded my arms across my chest. "Do you see?"

Jessibelle gaped in astonishment. "James…I can't believe I never realized that. You are so right." She just kept staring. "Everything they have us do is silly."

"Yeah…" now it was I who stared. Sure, I'd always thought Jessibelle was attractive, but I'd never been this closeto her. Everything about her was absolutely beautiful. Her large, azure eyes, her delicately curled red hair, the gentle curve of her hips. She was downright positively GORGEOUS.

"James?" Jessibelle had a sly grin on her face. I'd never seen her wear that grin before.

"What?" I asked, just as slyly.

"I need to give you something." She leaned towards me. "Close your eyes…" I was expecting it to be a kiss. But as soon as I felt the pressure on my chest, I knew exactly what it was.

My body hit the water with force. As I sunk deeper, I felt the liquid clog my ears, my mouth, my nose….MY LUNGS! I paddled frantically for the surface. With a grunt of effort, my body burst from the water.

"HAHAHAHA!"I could see Jessibelle still sitting on the boardwalk, laughing her head off. "Got you back!" She doubled over and closed her eyes, which would prove to be her mistake. "Why you-" I said in mock rage, and yanked her burned dress tail into the water. She splashed down beside me, and I could see a steady stream of bubbles rising to the surface. They then slowed, and finally stopped. "Jessibelle?" I queried in confusion.

Suddenly, two delicate hands were placed on my shoulders, and I felt weight on my back. "Mrrmph!" with a cry of protest I was shoved underwater once again.

I quickly opened my eyes, and spotted two pale legs dangling in the water. I smiled inwardly and grabbed one. "Aaah!" a shrill cry was heard from above as Jessibelle was dragged under. Little by little, her features appeared to me. She frowned and put her hands on her hips, cocking her head to one side in a strange sort of underwater pantomime. Following the trend, I pressed my knees against my chest and pointed my finger in a mocking gesture. She swam toward me in a dog paddle, but I skillfully evaded her. She scowled playfully and set after me again. I gave a forceful kick to escape, but she caught my leg. Surprisingly, instead of boasting, her head merely drooped to one side. At first I was confused, but I quickly realized the problem. My chest was beginning to burn. In one swift motion I gathered Jessibelle in my arms and kicked desperately for the surface. I could see the sun above, and it seemed terribly far away. My vision began to darken. _Hang on, James, for Jessibelle…_Then everything went black.

I woke to find Jessibelle kneeling over me. "Wha…what happened?" I gasped. "How….?"

Jessibelle giggled. "You don't get to play macho-tough-man this time, James my boy," she grinned wildly.

"But…you fainted! What happened?" I sat up. "How did you…?"

"When I "fainted" I was just playing around," she explained. "I thought you'd carried me up, but nooooo. You had to go and black out on me." She stared at me with that 'look.'

"You mean to tell me you were just KIDDING?!" I shouted. "I was really worried about you!"

"Poor you," she said simply, turning her head in disdain.

"Yeah, poor YOU." I tackled her to the sand. "You won't win this time!"

"Wanna bet?" She returned the shove. Within moments we were wrestling in the sand, shoving and kicking…and laughing….

"Pinned ya!" Jessibelle grinned in satisfaction. She had the most perfect white teeth. I could only look on in awe.

Gradually the expression on her face softened. She leaned down slowly, and placed her lips on mine….

I gently pushed her away. "Save it for the wedding!" I smiled happily.

"You really mean it, James?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes, Jessibelle, I really mean it." I stood up and brushed away the sand from my clothes, extending an arm towards Jessibelle. She took it, and I pulled her up while flashing a wide grin.

"James…there's something I want to tell you," she said seriously.

"What?" I asked, my face full of concern.

"No, not like that," she replied. "It's just…today I felt different than I've ever felt before," her eyes met mine. "It's like….I could catch the wind and fly."

"Catch the wind and fly, huh?"

"Yeah," her beautiful azure eyes sparkled.

"Well then…" I turned to the sea. "Here's to the wedding!" I removed both of my clunky Team Rocket boots and held them out dramatically.

Jessibelle caught on to the idea. "Here's to the wedding!" She unstrapped her red heels and held them out alongside my boots.

"On the count of three," I instructed. "One……two……three!" Together we thrust our shoes into the ocean. With a soft splash, they landed on the water. We watched them drift away.

"Ohmigosh, I can't believe I just did that!" Jessibelle exclaimed.

"Catch the wind and fly," I winked.

Jessibelle clasped my hand in her own. "Come on, let's go," she said affectionately.

And with that, we strode off barefoot into the sunset.


	5. Chapter Four

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Jessibelle and I ran swiftly down the path, still clutching each other's hands. _We're going to be married,_ I thought happily. _Together forever._ I had a brief vision of Jessie's heartbroken face when she realized I hadn't faked the wedding. _Oh well. She'll get over it, she's Jessie, _I reassured myself_,_ and smiled. 

I ran alongside Jessibelle, now with only happy thoughts of our marriage. As if to strengthen the emotion, the wedding chapel in the distance grew larger and larger as we approached it. I began to run faster in anticipation, and felt Jessibelle speed up as well. 

"James!" my father came into view when we finally stopped at our destination. "The wedding has been called off because of Growlie. All the guests will be staying the night, and the wedding will be held tomorrow." 

"We just wanted to let you know," my mother explained. "After all, we didn't want you to be surprised when the extra people showed up in the guest rooms!" Mother and father began laughing hysterically. Jessibelle and I exchanged glances. _What's so funny?_ We both thought. 

"Why don't you two go on and get some sleep for the big day tomorrow?" Mother suggested. She was right, it _was_ getting dark. "Okay," I replied simply, and started off. Jessibelle nodded in agreement and headed in the other direction. We looked at each other a final time before turning back to our separate ways. 

I plodded along for a bit before reaching the mansion door. I gripped the cool handle and turned it slowly, before slamming it behind me and ascending the stairs. When I reached the fourth floor I turned left and entered the third door to the right. I plopped down on the bed and gave a long sigh before drifting off to sleep. 

  
BRRRRRIIIIING!!!!!!! 

"WHA?" I leapt out of bed, startled. "Huh?" BRRRRIIIING!!!!! The alarm clock continued to scream. I gently placed my hand on top and pressed down, and the shrill noise stopped. But why had it gone off in the first place? I never set the alarm clock unless it was for something really important…. 

"THE WEDDING!" I screamed. I flung open my closet door and quickly shoved my clothes aside. Grabbing my blue tux in one hand, I shut the door with the other. I fumbled with the stiff pants for what seemed like forever. "COME ON!" I shouted as I finally pulled them up. I slipped the shirt over my head and tied my tie in a less-than-perfect knot. I swiftly ran my fingers through my hair as I rushed down the stairs. One flight, two flights, three…. 

"WHOAAAA!" I tripped on a bump in the carpet and was hurled down the remaining flight, only to land flat on my stomach at the bottom. "Owch." I looked up nervously. Mother, Father, Jessie, Jessibelle, and all the guests were sitting at our table having breakfast. 

"James!" my mother said indignantly, finishing a piece of toast. "Get off the floor!" I stood up and quickly brushed myself off. I stood there feeling awkward for a moment. Everyone was just STARING at me. "Umm…ta-da?" I said weakly. 

"James, why are you already dressed? The wedding's not for another three hours!" Jessibelle announced, confused. 

"Uhh…it's not?" I said stupidly.

"No, dear. Now just sit down with us for breakfast." Jessibelle smiled, and motioned to an empty chair beside her. I sat down and poked my fork into a sausage link. Everyone had FINALLY stopped staring at me. I breathed a sigh of relief and continued eating. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~3 Hours Later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

I stood in front of my full-length mirror, fiddling with my hair. There was this stray wisp that just wouldn't stay down, no matter how much I greased it back. I sighed and smoothed it down again. It stayed. I held my breath, waiting for it to fly back, but it remained down. I grinned and started down the stairs. One flight, two flights, three…I remembered just in time and stepped over the bump in the carpet. 

When I arrived at the bottom, I looked around for Jessibelle. _Where is she?_ I thought. But all I saw was Mother hastily preparing for the post wedding party. 

"Where's Jessibelle?" I asked. 

Mother turned around. "It's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding," she explained, "Why don't you just wait for her at the chapel." She then resumed cleaning. 

I shrugged and walked out the door. I ambled past the fountain, the bench, the doghouse… "Ah!" I cried out as the chapel came into view. I grinned and sped up. 

I stopped in front of the main door and pried it open, making sure to take my time. _Jessibelle, please be in here…_ I willed silently. I crept in, timid, and looked up. 

No. No Jessibelle. Just the best man, the priest, and the bridesmaids. I sighed and pretended my shoes were fascinating. 

"Hey James!" one of the bridesmaids called. "Better take your place before Jessibelle gets here!" I walked up the aisle, feeling embarrassed. "When's she going to be here, anyway?" I asked her casually. 

"She said three minutes," the bridesmaid replied. "But knowing her it'll probably be three hours. She always has to look so proper, ya know?" 

"No, you're wrong," I said in an icy tone. "If she says she'll be here in three minutes, she'll be here in three minutes." The bridesmaid rolled her eyes. _I'll slap her after the wedding,_ I told myself. _For now I guess I'll just watch the guests come in._

As if reading my mind, the first guest entered. It was a lady in a blue dress, with white heels and blonde hair piled high on her head. _Sit in the back, woman,_ I thought. She sat in the first pew. _Suit yourself. Don't come crying to me when people complain about your hair blocking their view._

The next person in was a guy. He was wearing a tuxedo, about the same as mine but black. His dark brown hair was greased back, and he took a seat near the middle. 

After the first two, the guests came in so fast I couldn't keep track. They filed in in groups of ten or more, all smiling, and all with perfect white teeth. They all looked rich as heck, exactly the kind of company my parents would have. They settled down all of a sudden. No one even blinked. And it slowly dawned on me why…. 

The doors flung open, and in a bright flash of white light, a woman's figure appeared. Jessibelle's figure. Man, was she beautiful. Gorgeous, ravishing, lovely, any word under the sun that's a synonym to beauty. She was dressed all in white, with delicate white slippers to match instead of her usual red heels. The bottom of her dress reached the top of her slippers, and it was perfectly proportioned, not too tight and not too poofy. And when people took pictures, the light reflected off of it and bounced around the room, creating a spectrum of sparkling color. The top half of the dress dipped down into the bottom in a V-shape, and it was adorned with tiny diamonds that seemed to radiate a kind of glow. The sleeves were long, and ended just above her hand. I lifted my head to see her face, but sadly, it was covered by a veil.

At last, she reached the altar. She took her place to my left, and I extended my hand to hers. They met in the middle, and we clasped them firmly. At that moment, I felt like no one and no thing could come between us. 

"Jessibelle," the priest began, "do you take James to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?" 

"I do." 

"And James, do you take Jessibelle to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?" He looked at me expectantly with his soulful brown eyes. 

I paused to take in the moment. Jessibelle was to become my wife, and nothing would ever come between us again. I smiled at the thought. "I do," I proclaimed proudly. 

"I now pronounce you, man and wife. You may now kiss the bride." 

I lifted Jessibelle's veil to reveal her face. This…this had to be the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life. Her hair, her eyes…everything. I almost cried right there on the spot, but instead I leaned in and kissed her. 

The kiss was sweet, long and hard. It was all the feelings I'd bottled up over the last ten years, all the love I'd felt that fateful day at the boardwalk, all the emotion I'd ever felt in my entire life rolled into that one carefree moment. 

We broke apart. The crowd was cheering, the cameras were flashing, and Jessie gave me a thumbs-up. 

But something just didn't feel quite right.


	6. Chapter Five

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The feeling I had after the kiss was something strange, I knew. But what could be wrong just when everything was looking so right? I quickly shrugged it off and focused my attention back on the wedding.

Jessibelle turned to the crowd with a large grin on her face. She swung her arm back in an arc, and paused before thrusting it forward. The perfect bouquet was hurled through the air…I watched intently to see who would catch it. It flew past the first pews, the middle…all the way to the wall, which it hit with a soft thud. The people in the back stood up, reaching their arms up high and jumping. The bouquet slowly slid down the wall, speeding up as it fell. Shrill screams of delight erupted from the crowd as it landed softly in a gloved hand. The lucky catcher was a young man dressed all in white, with dirty blonde hair. He leaped up and let out an exhilarated whoop, pumping the fist with the bouquet in the air. Jessibelle and I applauded politely.

Father rushed up to me and had me trapped in a bear hug before I knew what happened. "Oh James, dear, we're so happy you finally settled down with a refined young lady. I was so worried you'd run off again!"

"That's…really…nice…" I choked out. "Can you…please…let go…of me…" he finally released me, and I gasped for air. When I regained my breath, I noticed poor Jessibelle suffering the same kind of torture. "Uh…Mr. Morgan…you…can stop now…" Jessibelle protested. Father held on for a few more seconds before letting go of her, but the effect was still the same. Jessibelle doubled over and breathed deeply. I helped her up.

"I think we should leave the two lovebirds alone for a while," Mother said slyly.

"Yes, good idea," my Father agreed. "But be back in twenty minutes for the post wedding party!"

"Okay, we will," I replied. "Let's get out before they smother us again," I whispered to Jessibelle before we dashed off together.

As soon as we left the chapel, we slowed down to a steady walk. "That was some throw back there," I congratulated her, referring to the bouquet.

"Oh James, as much as I used to sling that whip around, wouldn't you think I'd have strong arms?" she blushed modestly.

"Yeah," I grinned. "I can't believe some of the things you did when you were little."

"Don't forget about the time YOU were playing camping and got lost five feet from the house!" Jessibelle countered.

"Or the time YOU tripped over a Geodude and thought you broke a leg!"

"Hey, it HURT like a broken leg!"

Soon we were laughing and reminiscing old times. We were having so much fun it took us a full ten minutes to reach the mansion.

Jessibelle flung the door open dramatically. "Well, here we are! Home," she flashed me a big smile. But upon seeing my expression, her smile quickly turned to concern. "James? You don't look happy."

She was right. I _wasn't_ happy. That weird feeling I had when I'd kissed her had come back. "James? James?" Jessibelle said worriedly. "Is there something wrong?

I shook my head slowly. "Jessibelle…we're not going to the party."

She looked at me in disbelief. "Why not?"

I smiled. An honest, true smile. "You'll see…"


	7. Epilogue

Epilogue

Epilogue

James stared out at the ocean. The sun was setting behind the clouds, casting a faint orange glow across the shimmering water. He watched as the waves rolled in, time after time, never missing a beat.

_Where do waves begin? _James wondered. _And why do they wash up on a particular beach? They always seem to know exactly where they're going…unlike me, _he admitted. 

"James."

James was startled out of his thoughts by a voice. He turned around to see Jessibelle, gorgeous in a tight, white, sleeveless dress that stopped just above her mid-thigh. A wide brimmed straw hat with a blue checkered ribbon hung lopsidedly over her left shoulder. 

"Jessibelle," James replied awkwardly, not knowing what to say.

"James, what were you doing?"

"Just….thinking."

"About what?"

James looked back toward the ocean. "Things…..the mansion, this house…..I'm not sure we made the right choice. I mean, we left behind a huge estate just for a beach house. We're happy here, and all, but sometimes I just wish someone could tell me that I did the right thing…"

Jessibelle gazed lovingly at him with her clear blue eyes. "You did the right thing, James, I'm sure of it." She grinned broadly. "After all, if you hadn't realized that, I'd still be back at that stuffy estate worrying about how to eat spaghetti properly." James laughed and watched as the last tinge of red disappeared from the sky. "You know something, Jessibelle?"

"What?"

"It's beautiful tonight."

"Yeah…." Jessibelle said dreamily. "And we can watch it together."

They turned to see the first star appear in the night sky. The wind blew calmly across the sea, making Jessibelle's hair fly into her face. She reached up and gently brushed it away. Leaning closer to James, she whispered, "I love you."

"I love you too," he whispered back. He wrapped his arms around her in a passionate embrace. Leaning forward, he kissed her, long and hard. He felt her return the kiss, and they broke apart.

"James, look!" Jessibelle pointed between them. Two shoes had washed up neatly beside each other. 

The first was a weathered red heel, still holding a bit of the beauty it originally had. Even stained and torn, it was obvious that it had been glamorous in its day. Jessibelle reached out and tentatively picked it up.

The second shoe was an old black boot. Dirty and scratched, it had obviously been on countless adventures. But only James would know what kind…..he slowly extended his fingers and pulled it to him.

James and Jessibelle looked at each other knowingly.

Two shoes that had washed up on the beach, insignificant, yet at the same able to convey a powerful message of love that would never be forgotten….

Catch the wind and fly.


End file.
